The Project Gutenberg eBook of Red Riding Hood

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Title: Red Riding Hood

Author: Lydia L. A. Very

Release date: April 2, 2010 [eBook #31868]
Most recently updated: January 6, 2021

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Meredith Bach, Irma Spehar, Markus Brenner and
the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images
generously made available by The Internet Archive/American
Libraries.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RED RIDING HOOD *** 



Red Riding Hood



 Red Riding Hood


Entered according to Act of Congress in the year

1863, by L. Prang & Co. in Clerk’s office of

the district court of Mass.





There was a lonely cabin

Within a dark, old wood,

And in it, with her mother

There dwelt Red Riding Hood.










The tall old trees above them

Their winter fire supplied

When Autumn’s flaming sunsets

From their red leaves had died.







The rippling brook, their water

From far off mountains brought;

And prattled of their summits

In icy statues wrought.










For them, the squirrels hoarded

Their nuts in hollow trees;

And pounds of sweetest honey

Were made them by the bees;







To gather these together

Was work enough to do;

Little Red Riding Hood thought so,

An so, no doubt, would you.










Blushing beneath her fingers

Looked up the berries red;

The flowers seemed to know her

And listened for her tread.







For she was good and loving

And beautiful as good,

With daily acts of kindness,

Little Red Riding Hood.










Afar off, in the forest,

There lived her grandam old;

And she was poor and needy,

And often sick and cold.







And once a week, her grandchild

Would walk the lonely wood,

And carry little bundles

Of faggots and of food.










One morn the mother started

The maid upon her way,

And said, “now you must carry

To grandmamma to day.”







“This little pot of butter

I’ve churned so nice and sweet;

And mind not stop and prattle

With any one you meet!”










Then through the shady forest

The little maiden went;

And though her steps were fleetest,

The day was well nigh spent,







When nearby through her journey,

An old, gaunt Wolf she spied,

Who wagged his tail, and humbly

Came walking by her side;










And said, “my little maiden,

How very fair you are!

You really look quite handsome!

Where do you walk so far?”







Forgetful of her mother,

She stopped and told him where;

Then said the Wolf, so cunning,

“What is it that you bear?”










Forgetful of her mother,

She stood and told him what;

“Tis butter, for my grandma,

Packed nicely in this pot.”







Then said the Wolf, “good by dear;

Perhaps we’ll meet again!”

Then swiftly on he hastened,

Swiftly through dale and glen,










And running reached before her

The cabin grey and old;

Her grandmamma was absent—

He quickly did infold







Himself in cap and night gown

Then quickly on the bed,

Closely upon the pillow

He laid his grizzly head.










Red Riding Hood soon entered;

“O, grandmamma, see here!

A little pot of butter!”

Where is my grandma dear?







“Here,” said the Wolf, well feigning,

Her grandma’s voice, so weak;

“I’m here, so sick my darling,

That I can scarcely speak!”










“Take off your clothes my darling,

Upon the bed come lie;

When you are here beside me

I’ll be better by and by!”







Red Riding Hood obeyed her

And got upon the bed;

“O grandmamma how altered

You are!” she quickly said










“O what GREAT EYES my grandma!

They never looked so before—”

“That’s to see you the better my darling,

The larger, to see you more!”







“What a GREAT NOSE my grandma

It never looked so before!”

“That’s to smell you better, my darling;

The larger to smell you more!”










“And what GREAT HANDS my grandma

They never looked so before!”

“That’s to hold you tight my darling

And to hug you more and more!”







“What a GREAT MOUTH my grandma!

As large as your tin cup!”

“That’s to open wide my beauty

And then to eat you up!”










Then he opened his great mouth wider

To eat her like a bird

But at that dreadful moment

A hunter’s gun was heard







The Wolf fell dead and bleeding—

Then grandma hastened in—

For she had seen the peril

The danger that had been!










Red Riding Hood wept sadly

And sorrowed more and more,

That she’d disobeyed her mother—

Which she never did before.







And she thought with fear & trembling

Of the death that came so near!

And she said the fright had taught her

To mind her mother dear.










Then listen, all ye children,

And mind your mother’s word!

For the great WOLF, men call EVIL

Is prowling round unheard!







Written & Designed by LYDIA L. VERY.

Published by

L. PRANG & Co.

Nº. 159 Washington S.t Boston, Mass.